This disclosure relates to label dispensing devices and related methods of use. In particular, this disclosure relates to devices for the dispensing of labels carried on a liner or web.
Label printers are commonly used to print text, barcodes, and other images. For such label printers, labels are usually provided on a release liner from which the labels can be separated. Typically, a web is fed through the printer with the labels on the liner and, after printing, the printed label may be removed from the web and applied to an item.
Many label printers require that, after the label has been printed, a user manually remove the printed label from the web and then apply the printed label to an object. However, to facilitate efficiency in high-throughput working environments, some printers have been designed to perform some of these routine actions that would otherwise need to be manually performed by the user.
For example, GB patent application no. 2464218 discloses a printer configured to automatically separate a label from a liner. Such separation is achieved by bending the liner with the label still attached in a direction transverse to the feed direction. Then, the bent label and liner are fed over the edge of a beak, at which point the direction of travel of the bent web changes approximately 90 degrees within a very short distance. Because the label is more stiff than the liner, when the bent web is run over the beak, the label separates from the liner.
The separation beaks or label dispensers of existing printers are somewhat limited in their range of application. Among other things, the materials of the web and liner are restricted in part by the mode of operation of the label dispenser. For example, for printers that periodically print labels, in order to separate the label from the liner, the liner would need to be run sufficiently far forward to separate the end of the label from the liner. To make sure the next label on the liner was properly situated for printing, either (1) the labels would need to be greatly spaced on the liner or (2) the liner would need to be fed backwards to place the next label in proper position for printing. The first option wasted liner material and increased scrap. The second option limited the types of materials that could be used for the liner, as the repeated forward and backward feeding of a bent or creased liner over the beak fatigued the liner and, depending on the material of the liner, could rupture the liner under sufficient tension. Moreover, backward feeding may require additional components to enable this direction of feeding and raise the cost of the printer.
A need still remains, however, for improvements to label dispensing devices and label printers.